No-bake recipe sliced from a loaf

Chocolate bunnies for Easter are so predictable. You gnaw off their ears, then quickly work your way down to their toes. And that’s a socially acceptable way of working out some major aggressions.

Consider something a bit more daring with your chocolate this year, such as chocolate salami. It sounds a little wacky at first. But no animals — chocolate or otherwise — are harmed in the making of this “salami.”

The gist of this Italian treat is that you blend together honey, melted butter, sugar, cocoa powder and crushed cookies. You then form the mixture into a log, roll it in powdered sugar, then slice and eat.

It’s delicious and easily doctored according to your tastes. This recipe, adapted from Aurora Baccheschi Berti’s “My Tuscan Kitchen” (Rizzoli, 2011), is basic. But consider adding dried cranberries, cherries, or strawberries. Stir in toasted walnuts or hazelnuts. Add a teaspoon of instant espresso powder plus shot of Grand Marnier, Puerto Rican rum or cherry liquor for a booze-on-mocha edge, something that magnifies the effect of a good quality cocoa.

Traditional versions of this recipe use 2 eggs as the binder. But since many people distrust raw eggs, the recipe substitutes honey.

We’d suggest fine-tuning the Chocolate Salami by using top quality cocoa powder — Ghirardelli’s is easy to come by on Staten Island although Chocolat Poulain is a great brand if you can score it on-line or in a gourmet specialty store.

Also, invest in top-notch, European-style butter to really send this confection over the moon. Some recommended brands available in some borough markets include Lurpak from Denmark, Kerrygold from Ireland or wonderful French butters like Beurre D’Isigny and Celles sur Belles.

— Pamela Silvestri contributed to this article.

RECIPE: CHOCOLATE SALAMI

Makes 10 servings)

½ cup honey

½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted, plus extra

½ cup granulated sugar

1 cup cocoa powder

7 ounces sweet, dry cookies (such as vanilla wafers), crushed

½ cup powdered sugar

In a large bowl, mix together the honey, butter, granulated sugar and cocoa powder. Stir in the crushed cookies.

Coat a sheet of parchment paper with extra butter.

Transfer the cookie mixture to the center of the paper. Use your hands to form it into a log about 14 inches long and about 1 ½ to 2 inches around. Wrap the edges of the paper tightly around the log. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. Unwrap the log, then roll it in the powdered sugar. Slice and serve.